The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT IS disheartening and downright selfish for a foreign company that has been operating in the Bahamas from about 1955, and with nothing to show how it has improve the lives of Grand Bahamians, or its economy, to still want to stay hogging up all the profits, as its monopoly has become strained over decades, leaving many Bahamians to wonder about what percentages of its revenues were being exported to Europe, and now by the minute?

But what is evident is their occupation, we see exorbitant fees inland sales, housing, and electricity supplies, to the extent that coping was an uphill climb for the residents of Freeport in particular, but how does it help the local people, many who have been so that the financial effects were of such significance that many of the islanders have had to relocate to New Providence to seek employment, less impactful strain on their paychecks...and is this paint the kind of picture that the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), would have you to believe that under its management, controls the economy was better, when it is not, the proof is not hard to find, can’t be avoided as how ordinary citizens describe Freeport to be a Ghost town?

So many businesses have shuttered and left that island, creating further pressures on the government to have to fill the void, but how come when the supposedly experts at the GBPA , seemed not to be able to get its act together, how come?

This group has been here more years than Bahamians have had life, therefore, when is enough, to be considered enough? I see myself as a reasonable man and, therefore, would like to appeal to the intellect of your readers that the contract with Wallace Grove’s entity, in all reasonable terms, ought not to have been awarded a contract that exceeded the five years that a political party is allowed per term, and so it is the opinion of legally-minded Bahamians, that the awarding a 99 years right to manage a business monopoly, ought to be unlawful, legally problematic and still should be set aside, making the case that as a result of exorbitant, unfair pricing sales and services, exclusion, unfair other business practice-like the preponderance of revenues exported out of the country, is worrisome … does factor heavily into the overall ratio of all ratio of the government’s budgeting exercises … the citizenry have suffered financial loss, joblessness, leaving the central government to have to fill the gaps, et cetera?

The impression I got is that they believe that the central government has no jurisdiction over what becomes of this unreasonable 1955 induction? And where the government’s mandate is to the welfare of the Bahamian people and must act on behalf of its citizenry, whether they were on Grand Bahama Island, or elsewhere in these Isles?

FRANK GILBERT

Nassau,

March 5, 2024.

NB: I call on the goodwill of PM Davis’ administration to deal with the Grand Bahama Port Authority with the legal authority that the Office of the Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance have, and to be able to bring relief to Grand Bahamians, no matter how they kick, scream, the GBPA, and we understand, their yearly take over these 1955-2024 years, I wonder what was the balance sheet showing?

One reminder to GBPA, is that the last time any of us Bahamians checked this was still the thing (local slang phrase) that you all were trying to force us not to demonstrate absolute sovereignty over, for indeed it is better in the Bahamas to hold true.

In conclusion, I have been following the temperament of certain personalities associated with the GBPA and have come across as being very haughty, boastful to wit - “the Grand Bahama Port Authority is not for sale?